1122 - Chapter 24

“I told him to get lost.”

“Seriously? My brother’s so proud you told him to get lost and he actually left?”

“He even cried.”

“No way! Is he still at the hospital?”

“Probably squatting by the door. You coming?”

“Jiang Yi, you just love stirring up drama.”

Jiang Yi lay on the hospital bed, his fever having subsided after the IV drip. He shifted into a more comfortable position on his side as he spoke to Chu Beiheng over the phone: “Anyway, don’t come. Take Qiao Qiao back to Zunduan first. I’ll head back to the hotel later if I’m fine.”

Then, as if remembering something, he reached up to touch the gauze on his forehead. “No, wait!I hit my head and have this bandage. If Qiao Qiao sees it, she’ll nag me again.”

“And you know we’d nag you. Honestly, you never let us rest easy.” In the VIP airport corridor, Chu Beiheng cradled the sleeping Qiao Qiao in one arm, glancing down at the child nestled against his shoulder. “Right now, I don’t dare take Qiao Qiao home either. Nanchen would definitely find out. I haven’t even told the family we’re back yet. I’ll take her to the hotel first.”

Hearing this, Jiang Yi felt a surge of gratitude. “Beiheng, honestly, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Chu Beiheng’s expression twisted slightly at Jiang Yi’s tone. “Cut the sweet talk. Don’t get mushy with me.”

“I’ll set you up on a date, don’t worry,” Jiang Yi said earnestly.

Chu Beiheng raised a brow. “Now that’s more like it. The car’s here, gotta go. I’ll call you after Qiao Qiao wakes up at the hotel.”

“Mm, okay.”

After hanging up, Jiang Yi held his phone limply at his side, staring blankly at the ceiling. Faintly, he could hear movement outside the door Yan Nanchen giving instructions to someone, perhaps.

Two hours. Two hours since he’d told him to get lost, and he was still lingering outside, refusing to leave.

That damn clingy mutt.

And what kind of coincidence was it that he’d shown up right when Jiang Yi’s pheromone levels had spiked?

That shameless bastard.

There was no way he’d call for puppy when he was in pain. No way he’d call Yan Nanchen. When had he even set Yan Nanchen as his emergency contact?

The more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed. He wouldn’t have set Yan Nanchen as his emergency contact.

…Unless Chu Beiheng had done it for him?

Unable to resist, he called Chu Beiheng again.

On the other end, Chu Beiheng had just settled into the car when his phone rang. He glanced at the screen Jiang Yi again. Adjusting Qiao Qiao in his arms, he answered with his free hand. “What now, oh great one? More orders?”

“Did you set Yan Nanchen as my emergency contact?”

Chu Beiheng fell silent for two full seconds, expression flat. “You know what? I wasn’t mad until you brought this up. Now I’m mad.”

Jiang Yi: “What?”

“You set that emergency contact yourself. Under what circumstances, you ask? Oh, just when you were drunk, bawling your eyes out, going sniffle sniffle ‘I wanna set puppy as my emergency contact so if I’m in danger, I can call him!’ And you know what I thought? Wow, in your mind, Yan Nanchen must have wings to fly across oceans and land by your side the second you call.”

Jiang Yi: “No way.”

“That number was given to me by you. You said your vision was blurry and you couldn’t see the keyboard clearly, crying and begging me to help. This was your private number when you were dating, right? How would I know your number if you hadn’t told me?”

Jiang Yi abruptly sat up, his face filled with disbelief. “I don’t believe it!”

“It’s fine if you don’t believe me. I have a recording.”

Jiang Yi swiftly hung up the phone: “…” He still couldn’t believe it. When had he ever been so drunk that he asked Chu Beiheng to fill in Yan Nanchen’s phone number for him?

And yet he had denied it so firmly just now?

He quickly pulled up his contacts, opened the dialed numbers, and counted to the fourth one from the top, the contact name displayed was “puppy.” His finger froze on the screen, his pupils flickering.

How was this possible?

He had genuinely forgotten about this.

So when he spoke with such certainty earlier, had Yan Nanchen been laughing at him?

A sudden, indescribable embarrassment washed over him. Gritting his teeth, he yanked the blanket over his head and let out an angry shout under the covers. His heartbeat inexplicably began to race, pounding so loudly it echoed in his ears.

Thump after thump, the overly excited rhythm of his heart kept reminding him of Yan Nanchen’s tone earlier. Could that man have mistaken his words for insincerity? Could he have thought that setting him as an emergency contact meant he still couldn’t let go?

Completely unaware that his ears had turned crimson, the flush gradually spreading down his neck, as if blood might drip from it at any moment.

“Yi Yi!!”

Suddenly, the door to the hospital room was pushed open from the outside, startling Jiang Yi, who was buried under the blanket. He pulled the covers down, staring wide-eyed at Yan Nanchen, who had rushed in.

Yan Nanchen had been standing outside the door the entire time. Hearing the commotion inside, he immediately turned the knob and entered, only to find Jiang Yi’s face flushed red, looking thoroughly startled, as if he had just had a nightmare or something.

He quickly walked to the bedside and sat down, reaching out to cup Jiang Yi’s cheek, his eyes filled with concern as he soothed in a gentle voice, “What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare? Why is your face so hot? Are you running a fever again?”

As he spoke, he immediately pressed the call button by the bed.

This series of actions was so fluid that Jiang Yi didn’t have a single second to speak.

Jiang Yi swatted Yan Nanchen’s hand away, turning his face aside as he muttered, “No, get out.”

Noticing that Jiang Yi’s ears and neck were also flushed red, Yan Nanchen grew even more worried. He pressed the back of his hand against Jiang Yi’s neck to check his temperature.

When his slightly cool fingers touched Jiang Yi’s skin, the alpha pheromones lingering in his blood seemed to surge instantly, concentrated around the most sensitive part of his neck where Yan Nanchen’s hand rested. Overwhelmed by the sensation, Jiang Yi couldn’t suppress a soft moan.

The moment the sound escaped, Jiang Yi’s face burned with humiliation.

He yanked the blanket back over his head and collapsed onto the bed, trying to hide his reaction. Furious and embarrassed, he shouted, “Yan Nanchen, get the hell out of here!!!!”

Meanwhile, the doctors at the door, who had been about to enter, were startled by the outburst. They hesitated at the threshold, unsure whether to proceed.

Yan Nanchen’s hand, still hovering near Jiang Yi’s neck, hadn’t had time to withdraw. The lingering warmth on his fingertips seemed to tell him, this wasn’t a fever. It was shyness.

Shyness?

His somber expression seemed to brighten with joy, the corners of his lips curling as his eyes filled with laughter. Then he turned to the doctor, “Take his temperature. I’m worried he might have a fever again.”

Only then did the doctor dare to approach.

But just as they were about to lift the blanket, the person beneath it held on tightly, showing no intention of having their temperature taken. The doctor could only look helplessly at Yan Nanchen, unsure what to do.

Yan Nanchen extended his hand, signaling the doctor to pass him the thermometer.

With a slight exertion of strength, he lifted the blanket with one hand.

Jiang Yi, who had been gripping the blanket tightly, was caught off guard by the sudden force and was lifted a few centimeters off the bed. Just as he was about to fall back heavily, a sturdy arm wrapped around his back, pulling him upright into a sitting position.

Before he could even gasp in surprise, Yan Nanchen had already pulled him into an embrace, his hands instinctively resting on Yan Nanchen’s thighs.

Holding Jiang Yi with one arm, Yan Nanchen slipped the thermometer into his hospital gown with the other, using a tone one might reserve for coaxing a child, “Lift your arm.”

Jiang Yi was completely unprepared for Yan Nanchen’s actions, feeling a mix of embarrassment, shame, and anger. He panted in frustration, arms tightly crossed, ignoring Yan Nanchen altogether.

If Chu Beiheng and Qiao Qiao were to see this, they would be utterly shocked this couldn’t possibly be Jiang Yi.

But in truth, this was how Jiang Yi always behaved in front of his puppy.

“Be good, just let me take your temperature,” Yan Nanchen murmured, lowering his head until his cheek brushed against Jiang Yi’s unnaturally feverish forehead. “I’ll leave right after, okay?”

His voice was so tender it might as well have been promising, “I’ll give you a kiss as a reward,” dripping with indulgence.

Jiang Yi glanced up at Yan Nanchen, testing, “You’ll really leave after taking it?”

Yan Nanchen nodded obediently, “Yes, I’ll leave right after.”

The doctors nearby: “!!!!”

Was this really their aloof and proud President Yan? Coaxing someone like this? Who was this person, not only making President Yan wait outside for two hours but also telling him to leave and he would?

Jiang Yi could feel the broad chest pressed against his back, the strength of the arm encircling him, the warmth radiating through him along with the alpha pheromones that had long seeped into his bloodstream, wild yet gentle, trying to disrupt his thoughts.

Then he felt the cool touch of the thermometer against his skin, making him shiver involuntarily.

A soft voice sounded above him, “Be good, open up. I need to put it in.”

In an instant, Jiang Yi stiffened.

Warm breath brushed against the sensitive gland on the back of his neck, untouched by his alpha’s mark for five years. It was as if a long-sealed crack had been pried open, letting longing seep through.

And that tone like a faint electric current coursing through every inch of his body, teasing places he couldn’t bear to be touched, leaving him weak and trembling all over.

Noticing the change in Jiang Yi’s demeanor, Yan Nanchen’s gaze darkened. He lifted his eyes coldly to the doctors by the bed, “Come back in fifteen minutes.”

The pressure in that look was overwhelming. The doctors turned and left immediately, afraid that staying even a second longer would mean certain death by glare.

The hospital door closed softly behind them.

Leaving only the two of them inside.

In that instant, the highly compatible Alpha and Omega pheromones merged seamlessly despite the blocker’s interference, just like their current embrace.

Yan Nanchen held Jiang Yi’s slightly weakened arm, placing the thermometer under his armpit. Lowering his gaze, he coaxed softly, “Yi Yi, hold it tight and don’t move, or we’ll have to measure again if it falls out.”

Another crucial factor triggering pheromone concentration imbalance was the impending Heat.

Jiang Yi felt his entire body growing weak and powerless, a helpless lethargy beyond his control. He didn’t want Yan Nanchen to hold him, yet his instincts drove him closer, making it impossible to break free from Yan Nanchen’s grasp. And this Violet Musk pheromone, it smelled even better than the scent lingering on that shirt.

The torment of this push-and-pull between desire and resistance was unbearable.

His mind grew hazy again, leaving him no choice but to nestle motionless in Yan Nanchen’s arms. This was a situation he had never anticipated or perhaps.

A possibility his subconscious had once envisioned.

A line of defense he was unwilling, or too afraid, to cross again.

But now, after just one day no, half a day, of being back, was he already succumbing to Yan Nanchen’s influence? Did this make him seem too weak, too pathetic?

Yan Nanchen held Jiang Yi with one arm, raising his other hand to gently stroke the forehead of the man in his embrace, offering silent comfort. From this moment on, he only needed fifteen minutes just fifteen minutes of holding him obediently. Even if it meant exploiting an Alpha’s despicable allure.

Just fifteen minutes.

About ten minutes later, Yan Nanchen felt a cool droplet fall onto the back of his hand. He immediately looked down at Jiang Yi and found him crying, his heart twisting painfully at the sight.

“What’s wrong, Yi Yi? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

Perhaps the time was up. He retrieved the thermometer, his brow furrowing at the reading.

39°C. The fever had spiked again.

“I want to go back to the hotel,” Jiang Yi pleaded hoarsely, tilting his head up to look at Yan Nanchen. He couldn’t stay by Yan Nanchen’s side any longer, it was too easy to cloud his judgment.

Yan Nanchen met Jiang Yi’s tearful, reddened eyes, brimming with grievance, and was instantly reminded of when Jiang Yi had first presented as an Omega. Back then, too, a single teary glance could melt his heart into helpless submission, making him yield to anything.

But now?

“I’ll take you back once your fever breaks, okay?”

“Promise me.”

“I promise.”

“Fine.” Jiang Yi’s eyelids drooped listlessly, his mind foggy from the fever and the emotional turmoil. Exhaustion washed over him.

Within seconds, he had fallen asleep in Yan Nanchen’s arms.

Utterly defenseless.

Yan Nanchen tightened his hold on Jiang Yi as he slumped over, carefully laying him back on the bed. He brushed the hair from Jiang Yi’s forehead and tucked him in before opening the hospital room door.

Addressing the nurse outside, he said, “His fever’s back. Please check on him.”

He stood outside, watching as the nurse tended to Jiang Yi. After a moment, he turned away, pulling out his phone to make a call. The moment the call connected, all traces of his earlier gentleness vanished, replaced by icy detachment.

“Did you find the flight details I asked for earlier?”

The voice on the phone replied, “Two flights landed two hours ago, but none of the passengers matched your description of someone carrying a child. They were all adults.”

Yan Nanchen narrowed his eyes slightly. “What about the VIP channel?”

“We don’t know if anyone was carrying a child through the VIP channel, but the plane belongs to President Chu, your brother.”

Yan Nanchen fell silent for a moment, his eyes gradually stirring with unrest. A second later, his jaw tensed, and he abruptly tightened his grip on the phone. “Alright, I understand.”

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